The Zodiac Risen
by fantasydreamer94
Summary: Yuu Kannagi devours an extremely rare core that belongs to the legendary Aragami, known as the Zodiac. These cores can stop all the Aragami and change everything. Just when Yuu feels to be in love with Alisa Amiella, he is called to join a Special Forces Unit and find more cores. Every step he takes to save the world, is a step away from Alisa. What can he do to not lose both?
1. A Mission Unexpected

**Chapter 1: A Mission Unexpected**

Yuu Kannagi wakes up on his bed.

He looks at his clock and reads the digital numbers in green.

They form shapes that show 9:32 AM.

It is time for him to exercise.

He sluggishly removes himself from the sheeted mattress and heads to the bathroom while scratching his muddled blonde hair. Turning on the shower and waiting for the water to warm up, he brushes his teeth first, rummage a new set of clothes from his closet, and enters the shower after taking off his old clothes.

It's been 4 months when Lindow and Sakuya had their marriage ceremony. A vacation was what they wanted ever since. However, the number of Aragami had been steadily increasing, and scheduling a break was very restricted. Plus, Lindow had to train the two New-Type Gods Eaters, Annette Koenig and Federico Caruso. Yuu, on the other hand, offered to take Lindow's position and allow the newly wedded couple to have some time alone. He would have to work triple-time for his shift and for Sakuya's and Lindow's.

The two of them were extremely grateful for Yuu, even though he becomes really exhausted by the end of the day. Still, he was always the one with the heart of an angel's kindness, and that could lead him to his own demise. 6 days have passed after Lindow and Sakuya left, and already Yuu began to regret giving the offer. He didn't complain, nonetheless.

Annette and Federico were promising Gods Eaters. They really had Yuu's back during the missions they had together. They are progressively improving their skills and, maybe soon, they can go on missions with their designated units.

Yuu exits the shower and dries himself.

He puts on his blue-gray "Jersey" shirt with matching sweat pants.

Today is his day off. Thanks to Lindow's older sister and 1st Unit's instructor, Tsubaki Amamiya, he does not have to go on any missions. But, relaxing is not the sole objective. Yuu has to train more and keep the Oracle Cells in his body active. As Leader, it is important to never slack off.

* * *

The blonde 1st Unit Leader opens the door and comes into the hallway.

He spots the 2nd Unit Leader, Tatsumi O'Mori, conversing with 2nd Unit member, Brendan Bardell.

"Hey! Morning, 1st Unit Leader!" Tatsumi greets with a cheerful attitude.

"Good morning!" Yuu responds with the same tone.

"Where are you going at this time? It's your day off, isn't it? You should be sleeping it all through." Tatsumi smirks.

"I can't. I have to keep training to stay as the instructor for Annette and Koenig." Yuu replies, "Also, there are SO many missions I have to take tomorrow…I need to keep in shape, you know?"

"Ahh, yeah. Ever since Lindow and Sakuya went on their honeymoon, you were the one to take their places. How do you even survive that? I mean, looking after the new Gods Eaters AND training on break…?" Brendan crosses his arms.

"Heh heh…" Yuu scratches his head with a smile.

"Well, they don't call you 1st Unit Leader for nothing!" Tatsumi wraps his arm around Yuu's shoulders, "Besides, you're looking after Annette for a while instead of us. Brendan and I still have trouble keeping our cool with Kanon."

"Kanon still misfires?" Yuu asks.

"Heh, you betcha." Tatsumi removes his arm, "I'm surprised you let her go on missions with you. And you come out with not a scratch from any one of her Radial bullets."

"She's easy to work with, actually. You just need to remember where she's standing on the field. Kanon's a good partner." Yuu explains.

"That sounds easier said than done." Brendan scoffs, "We just slap her on the back of her head if she messes up."

"Hey, don't do that! She's really sweet and nice." Yuu states.

"Yeah, she's only nice for apologizing after shooting at you." Tatsumi chuckles.

"Come on, guys. You are her friends. And friends trust each other, no matter what. Right? You have stick together if something really bad happens." Yuu opens his hands out.

"Yeah, we know. I'm just putting it out since you have Annette for a while. Just make sure she doesn't hit any of her teammates when she joins the 2nd Unit." Brendan puts his hands on his hips, "Otherwise, we're a dead team with TWO friendly firers."

"Uh…Yeah, okay." Yuu nervously smiles.

"You should get some breakfast at the Café Floor. I think they have something better than ration food down there." Tatsumi pats on Yuu's back.

"Ooh, nice. Are you guys going to join me?"

"Nah, we already ate. Our mission is coming up soon, so we gotta get ready." Brendan answers.

"Oh. All right, then. Thanks. And good luck!" Yuu nods and walks to the elevator.

"Hey! If you see Kanon, tell her that we'll be waiting here." Tatsumi requests.

"I got it. Bye, guys!" Yuu waves as the elevator doors close.

* * *

The doors reopen to a white wide room occupied with tables.

As Yuu steps out, a girl in a grayish-white tank top with big red goggles on top of her head notices him from the side.

"Yuu!" Licca Kusonoki calls.

He turns his head and sees her holding a tin lunchbox in her hand, "Licca!"

She walks up to him with a big smile on her marked face, "Good morning! How are you?"

"I'm doing great. I was just getting some breakfast."

"Oh? Well…the Café's food today isn't really stimulating for a waking mind."

"…?"

Licca holds the tin lunchbox with both gloved hands in front of her, "How about sharing with me? I made some extra, just in case I see you."

"Really? Wow, that's really cool, Licca." Yuu's comment slightly flushes her cheeks, "But, you see…I'm a heavy eater…and I don't want to take too much of yours."

"No, I insist! Come on!" Licca takes his hand and leads him to a table.

They sit down on opposite sides. The engineer in gray excitedly opens her lunchbox. She takes out a sealed plastic bag that contains what appear to be peanut-butter spread waffles with raisins. Licca removes four of them and hands them to Yuu.

"Whoa…Did you really make these, Licca?" Yuu observes the elegant texture.

"Of course! I'm a girl who knows her recipes. Tell me what you think about them." Licca puts her chin on top of her interlinked hands.

Yuu takes a bite of one of the waffles, and relishes the taste.

"Mmm! It's yummy!" Yuu smiles while taking another bite.

"I'm glad…" Licca grins even more.

"Huh? Aren't you going to eat, too?" Yuu hands her two waffles.

"No. I'm okay. Just eat. Would you like a drink, too?"

"Um…okay."

Licca takes out a small container that has her favorite drink, "Iced Curry" and pours it into a small cup. Giving it to Yuu, he gulps it down quite too quickly. His mouth puffs and he encloses his coughing from the throat.

"Mmpff…!"

"Yuu! Are you okay-?" Licca panics.

Yuu lifts his hand up, "I'm fine! My throat is just cold!"

"Sigh…" Licca relieves herself with a hand on her chest, "Thank God. The same thing happened to me too when I drank it for the first time. I thought my heart and lungs were going to explode."

Yuu swallows the food and drink with ease.

"It's sweet, refreshing, and tangy-like." Yuu notes, "Like orange juice!"

"Orange juice…?" Licca is unfamiliar with that name.

"Oh, it's a…juice that has squeezed oranges' liquid. It's a fruit juice."

"Hmm, sounds peculiar. I would like to try it out one day with you." Licca grins again.

"All right." Yuu continues eating the waffles.

"So, Yuu…"

"…?"

"Where are you going today?" Licca studies his clothing, "Are you training?"

"Yeah. Tsubaki gave me a break for one day. I thought this would be a good time for me to work out with my God Arc. I'm planning to switch to the "Flesh Claymore X" Buster Blade and "Guardian Blaster" Blast Gun with the "Panzerung II" Tower Shield."

"Oh my gosh, Yuu. Those are some heavy equipment." Licca stresses, "Don't hurt yourself by taking it too far."

"Don't worry. I'm only training with them. It's not like I will use them on the field, yet." Yuu ensures, "And…since I'm already comfortable with using Short and Long Blades, I got to start getting used to the heavy weapons."

"…All right." Licca understands, "Just don't get reckless, okay?"

Yuu nods, "Okay."

"I'll get to applying them for you, then." Licca suggests.

"Licca, that's-."

"No, it's fine. It's the least I can do. Besides, I-…" Licca puts her hands on her lap and bends her shoulders inward.

"…?"

"…I want to help you in any way I can. Ever since that day when the Aragami invaded Training Area 2 and you saved me, I didn't exactly get a chance to repay the favor."

"Licca…"

"So, if you don't mind…!"

"…"

"…"

"Okay." Yuu agrees.

"…!"

"Thank you, Licca. For the equipment and breakfast." Yuu smiles.

"…" Licca smiles back, "No problem."

The speaker on the ceiling turns on and a female voice calls out,

"_Staff announcement. Tuning requirements for God Arcs will begin soon. All engineers please report to Lab No. 3. Repeat. Tuning requirements for God Arcs will begin soon. All engineers please report to Lab No. 3."_

"Oh! I got to go!" Licca stands up and closes her lunchbox after putting back in the plastic bag and small container.

"Wh-? What about eating breakfast, Licca?" Yuu finishes his last bite of the waffles.

"I already ate before you came." Licca winks, "I'll get to your God Arc first. It'll be ready when you begin your training."

She holds her lunchbox and sprints for the elevator while waving at Yuu.

"See you later, Yuu!"

Yuu waves back in silence as the elevator doors close.

"Huh, you sure know how to grab her heart." A female voice comes from behind him.

He turns and sees a woman with a left eye patch, Gina Dickinson, a member of the 3rd Unit, holding a tray of food and standing nearby Yuu's table. He also sees Kanon Daiba, from the 2nd Unit, being next to Gina with a tray of food in her hands as well.

"Gina! And Kanon!"

"Hi, 1st Unit Leader." Kanon gently waves at him with an adorable smile.

"Mind if we sit next to you?" Gina asks with a sharp mien.

"No. Not at all! Go ahead." Yuu graciously invites.

Kanon cuts in front of Gina and takes the seat next to Yuu swiftly. Gina rolls her eye, and takes the seat in front of Yuu.

"Say, Kanon…I just met with Tatsumi and Brendan. They said you guys have a mission coming up?" Yuu looks at the pink-haired girl in green.

"Yes. We're going to the Sunken Plains and handle three Normal, Blaze and Spark Borg Camlanns." Kanon informs.

"That sounds dangerous. Can the three of you handle it?" Yuu shows concern.

"Well, I suppose we can. I mean, as long as I can avoid misfiring all the time, I think we'll be fine." Kanon fidgets, "I just hope those two won't be mad at me…"

"They won't." Yuu assures, "I talked to them, and said that you are easy to work with. And they are your friends…and friends always look after each other."

"Oh, really?" Kanon gleams into Yuu's eyes, "W-what else did you say about me?"

Gina lets out a small chortle at the redness on Kanon's cheeks.

"I say that you should have the right kind of bullets, Kanon." Gina disrupts them.

"Huh?" Kanon snaps out her gaze at the blonde Leader.

"You always use Radial and Mortar Bullets. They are effective, but it's a double-edged sword, if you know what I mean."

"That's true, I guess…" Kanon sighs.

"How about you, Gina?" Yuu turns to her, "Do you modify your Laser Bullets to fit with how you fire?"

"Some of them I do. I only use what I need to bring the target down as fast as possible." Gina responds, "You?"

"Um…I am trying to create a new bullet…" Yuu rubs the back of his neck.

"Ooh! Tell us." Kanon beams.

"Lay out the recipe." Gina pays attention.

"Okay, it goes like this." Yuu prepares himself, "I take an "XS Blaze Deco-Shot: very short-range" bullet, then I connect it with an "M Blaze Control" bullet that faces the enemy, which happens at the same time as the first bullet. After that, I…"

As Yuu describes his bullet creation, the elevator doors open.

A gray-haired girl, wearing a "Mutinia" outfit that consists of a black top and red skirt, along with long black boots and a red hat, comes out and notices the blonde 1st Unit Leader is sitting with two girls for breakfast.

She hops back into the elevator to avoid being seen by the Leader.

"_Oh no, am I too late?"_ Alisa Illinichina Amiella thinks to herself with a fast beating heart.

She peeks out again to glance at Yuu Kannagi.

He is talking to Gina and Kanon with an enthusiastic mood.

"_W-what am I nervous about? I'm only going to offer him breakfast!" _Alisa twiddles her foot, _"I-it's not going to mean anything! I'm just showing that I care about his well-being. Plus, it is his day-off. He worked so hard after taking Lindow's and Sakuya's shifts! I just want to make sure he doesn't stress himself too far. That's all. Oh dear, he looks like he's having fun with those two."_

"…so when you shoot the finished bullet, no matter where the Aragami is, it will home into its weak spot." Yuu finishes his depiction of his bullet recipe.

"Hmm…How much was the calculated damage?" Gina wipes her mouth with a napkin.

"Uh…413." Yuu answers.

"Amazing, Yuu!" Kanon makes short claps, "That's incredible."

"Heh heh heh…It was only simulated. I didn't make it yet." Yuu scratches the side of his head.

"413? That's burn marks compared to what I have." Gina chuckles, "The best bullet I got can shoot multiple lasers at once. Its damage is 1119."

"1119?" Kanon gasps.

"All right, I have another bullet recipe…" Yuu places his five fingertips on top of the table, "You lock an "L Freeze Deco-Laser: very short-range" bullet at a Horizontal of 10 degrees and Vertical to the right at 0 degrees, connected with an "L Freeze Shot: short range, advanced pierce" bullet at also Horizontal of 10 degrees and Vertical of 0 degrees, but to the left. That fires at the same time as the first bullet. The third bullet has no connection with the second bullet. It is the same type as the first bullet, but it is Vertical to the left. It's also connected by the fourth bullet that is the same type as the second bullet, but Vertical to the right and it fires at the same time as the third bullet."

"How much damage is this one?" Gina asks again.

"5211." Yuu confidently states.

"Whoa!" Kanon is astounded by that number.

"That's quite a recipe you got there. And it's a simple format for a Laser Bullet." Gina is finally impressed, "Chips and OP numbers?"

"64 Chips and it needs 64 OP to fire."

"…Hmm…"

"Check this out. I call it the "Dual Piercing" bullet." Yuu dramatically asserts.

"Very nice!" Kanon giggles.

"Have you created it yet?" Gina questions.

"No, but I plan to. I was playing around with the bullet editor and stumbled on it. It was fluke, really." Yuu replies.

"I see. Well, if you DO happen to make it, and it works…" Gina stands up with her empty tray and walks next to Yuu.

She slides her finger across his right shoulder, "Maybe you and I should try it out together."

"…" Yuu blushes at how she said that.

"Anyway, I got to get going. The 3rd Unit has a booked mission. What a drag." Gina walks away to dump her trash in the trash can.

"Um…" Kanon gets Yuu's attention. Her cheeks are a little reddish. "…I would like to try it with you, also."

"…! Oh, uh…sure!" Yuu smiles.

Kanon grins widely, and gets up to go dump her trash as well.

"Well, it was nice eating with you, 1st Unit Leader! Let's do it again, sometime." Kanon respectfully bows.

Yuu waves at her as she goes with Gina to the elevator. He reminds her, "Kanon! Don't forget. Tatsumi and Brendan are waiting for you at the Veteran's Floor."

"Okay, got it!" Kanon acknowledges.

Gina and Kanon arrive at the elevator and sees Alisa shyly standing right by the doors.

"Hi, Alisa!" Kanon greets her.

"Oh!" Alisa refocuses, "Hi, Kanon. And Gina."

Gina glimpses at Yuu and back to Alisa. She spots the look in Alisa's eyes when she is staring at her Leader.

"You know, if you want to spend time with him, you should've gotten here sooner." Gina smirks as she and Kanon enter the elevator.

"…! W-what…?" Alisa's cheeks flush, "W-what does THAT mean?"

"Hmph…It means that you are in a competition. Remember that." Gina continues smirking as the elevator closes.

Alisa is left there, staring at the doors.

"C-competition…? What is this? A game…? I-I'm just-!" Alisa's words bounce towards the metal.

"Alisa?"

"…!" Alisa shifts her body around and sees Yuu standing in front of her, "Oh! L-Leader…!"

"You know, you can call me by my name." Yuu smiles, "Don't you feel awkward when you say that all the time?"

"N-not at all…! It's just a manner of formal speaking, of course!" Alisa locks her hands behind her, "In Russia, we always refer to our superiors by their ranks."

"I see. Well, as your friend, I just want you to feel comfortable. It's almost a year since you joined the Far East Branch, and I don't think you need to call me Leader every time you see me." Yuu places his hands on his hips.

"Er…Yes. You're right." Alisa places her hand on her warm cheek, "Thank you, Lead…I mean, Yuu…"

"Much better!" Yuu boisterously chuckles, "So…"

"…?"

"…are you busy today?"

"H-huh…?" Alisa blushes more since her mind jumps far ahead when he asked that question.

"You see, lately, I've been spotting a lot more people going on more missions. Soma went to do a mission with another branch, and Kota went with him. The 2nd and 3rd Units are already planning to go this early. And Annette and Federico are out, as well. So, I was wondering if you are going on a mission, too."

"Oh, actually, since Soma and Kota went away, and you are on break, I get to have a break, too." Alisa exhales calmly and steadies herself.

"Hmm, that's interesting…" Yuu chafes behind his head, "…but do you have any plans?"

"Eh…?" Alisa's mind jumps ahead again.

"I was wondering…if you want to…" Yuu scratches his cheek.

Alisa's heart races and her hands sweat with anxiety.

"…train with me?"

"T-…Train…?" Alisa's body relaxes immediately.

"Yeah, I'm planning to use some new equipment and get my body accustomed to them. I thought about asking someone to go on a simulated mission with me and see how I do. And, uh, there's no one else to ask except you."

"…"

"But, you don't have to if you can't. I'm not forcing you, of course! If you are busy, then-" Yuu shakes his hands around.

"No…"

"Huh…?"

Alisa looks up to his face with a gleaming small smile and bright bluish eyes, "I would love to train with you."

A bit of red colors his face as he takes in a precious moment such as this.

"C-Cool!" Yuu timidly accepts, "I'm…uh…going to be in Training Area 5."

"What…? Are you not going to eat breakfast?" Alisa's eyebrows rise, "You need to have a supplied stomach before you can go exercise."

"It's okay, I already ate." Yuu admits.

"You did?"

"I met with Licca when I got here. She gave me some delicious waffles with peanut-butter and raisins, and a drink of Iced Curry. It was nice." Yuu confesses.

"Oh…" Alisa's voice hints a disappointment, "…I…see…"

"But hey…You can still eat your breakfast! I'll just head by the training room to get my God Arc and wait for you there. How's that sound?"

"Uh, yeah…Okay." Alisa nods, "I'll be there as shortly as possible, Leader."

"…"

"Er, I-I mean…Yuu."

"All right." Yuu smiles and presses the button for the elevator.

It opens and Yuu gets in.

Alisa turns to see him off.

"I'll see you there, Alisa!" Yuu waves.

"Likewise." Alisa smiles in return.

When the doors close and Yuu is no longer seen, she places her hand on her chest. Her thoughts unwillingly replay the comment Gina said before she left. Alisa frustratingly shakes her head.

"_Ooh! I spend enough time with him plenty!" _She mentally yells, _"So what if I lost my chance to offer him breakfast? I get to be alone with him for training…!"_

"…"

"_W-…Why am I saying it like that? I-it's just a training session! There's nothing more to it! Yuu just wants a partner to be with him, and I'm the only one who can do it. So, if I have to be there for him…! I-I'll be there for him! No questions asked!"_

Alisa heads for the Café and hurries to get her food.

* * *

Yuu reaches Training Area 5 and moves into the equipment room.

The God Arcs are displayed on mechanical stands on the left and right sides. A computer is nearby and Yuu goes up to it to input his ID number.

One of the mechanical stands shuts itself with a God Arc in it, and descends down. It comes back up about 5 minutes later with Yuu's God Arc.

He can see that it's already been altered by Licca.

The "Flesh Claymore X" Buster Blade and "Guardian Blaster" Blast Gun with the "Panzerung II" Tower Shield are attached.

Before Yuu picks up his God Arc, a voice halts him.

"Yuu Kannagi!"

Yuu jolts and looks at the entrance door.

A woman in white explicit clothes, holding a clipboard, enters the room and walks towards him.

"Ms. Tsubaki!" Yuu exclaims.

"And what are you planning on doing?" Tsubaki Amamiya questions with a strict voice.

"Um…I was going to do some training…"

"On a day of your break? The one I went through the trouble of giving you? You must eagerly want to kill yourself, then. Maybe I shouldn't have been so appreciative since you let my brother go on vacation with his new wife and taking both of their shifts. I'll just send you back in the field for today."

"N-no!" Yuu stands upright.

Tsubaki smirks, "I'm only joking. But, I am concerned about you working yourself too hard."

Yuu breathes out in relief, "I just thought I would take this time to…"

He gestures to his God Arc.

"…develop my skills."

"You're putting on quite a heavy load there." Tsubaki discerns the new changes on his God Arc, "I'm well aware that you need to be on your feet at all times as Leader. However, if you hurt yourself, we'll lose another one of our finest Gods Eaters. The Fenrir Far East Branch can't afford a delay in our schedule, due to the rising numbers of Aragami. Understand?"

"Y-yes, Ma'am! I will be careful!"

"Now, unfortunately, I will have to ask you to postpone your training session." Tsubaki sternly asserts.

"Huh?"

"The Director requests you to report to his office immediately."

"The Director…? Why…?"

"He didn't provide a reason…That man…always a lab fanatic." Tsubaki shakes her head, "It is urgent, though. Go to him. He seemed quite desperate when he asked me to call you."

"…Uh…Yes! I will go to him!" Yuu accepts.

"Very good." Tsubaki walks him out, "Now, I have to tend to the other Gods Eaters. Take care, all right?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Yuu responds and heads in the opposite direction of Tsubaki.

* * *

Yuu gets to the Executive Section Floor and heads straight down the hallway for the door at the end.

When he enters, he sees a black-coated man with circular glasses sitting behind the desk that belonged to the former Director, Johannes von Schicksal.

"Ah, you're here!" Dr. Paylor Sakaki cheerfully greets.

"You called for me, sir?" Yuu positions himself in front of him.

"Yes. You see, Yuu, I have stumbled upon a discovery within my research." Dr. Sakaki crosses his fingers on his desk, "Are you familiar with the Aragami…The Golden Gboro-Gboro?"

"Yes, I am. They are very rare to find."

"Good. Then that takes care of half of what I am about to say." Dr. Sakaki smiles, "My discovery showed me that there will be one in a specific location for this day. And there will only be one. Then, it disappears. A core from an uncommon species like this one would be extremely nice to bring to the lab."

"…" Yuu can already guess what he's about to say.

"I found that you are taking a break today, is that not correct?"

"Yes…"

"That's great!" Dr. Sakaki places his hands on the chair's arms, "I was wondering if I could ask you to go on a special mission to apprehend this Aragami's core, and let our engineers and scientists study it?"

"…Well…" Yuu scratches his cheek, "A Golden Gboro-Gboro is not too much of a threat. So, I suppose…I can go."

"Brilliant!" Dr. Sakaki happily applauds, "Hibari will provide you the coordinates. It's a simple task. Kill it, extract the core, and bring it back here. I thank you for your genuine kindness."

"It's fine. Maybe, I could train with my God Arc for this mission." Yuu smiles, "Can I recruit anyone with me?"

"Actually, about that…" Dr. Sakaki crosses his fingers on the desk again, "…I want you to go solo for this one."

"…?"

"This Golden Gboro-Gboro is easily a scared creature. It is best if you go alone, and not have any unnecessary support."

"Oh...I understand."

"I know I am taking your precious resting time for an uncanny task. But…there's no one else I can think of, that is present, who can absolutely be successful to capture this rare core. Please, will you do it for a science worshipper such as me?" Dr. Sakaki begs with a serene voice.

"Yes, of course I will, sir!" Yuu guarantees.

"Excellent!" Dr. Sakaki, again ,applauds in glee, "I'll send the mission request to Hibari. Go whenever you wish, but it has to be today, all right?"

"Yes, sir." Yuu nods.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Training Area 5,

Alisa holds her God Arc and looks around for her 1st Unit Leader.

"Yuu…?"

* * *

**A/N: Please review for me! Give some of your thoughts/theories/ideas, if you can!**

**I like to give credit to the God Eater Wiki for providing me some information I needed.**


	2. Core of the Zodiac

**Chapter 2: Core of the Zodiac**

Yuu approaches the front desk in his Blue Formal uniform.

The red-haired female operator stops typing on the computer in front of her and gleams her smile at him.

"Oh, Yuu!" Hibari Takeda bows, "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Hibari." Yuu waves, "I got a mission from the Director."

"Yes, you do." Hibari returns her eyes to the computer, "I just received the request 30 seconds ago. It says that you are going on a special mission by yourself to find a particular Aragami."

"Yep, that's the one."

"Still doing things in secret, aren't you? Just like Lindow when he was Leader…" Hibari teases.

"Heh, heh. It's not exactly a difficult one. Dr. Sakaki only wants me to go on a wild goose chase with some Aragami that might not be there. It's more annoying than any other mission I've ever taken." Yuu explains.

Hibari chuckles, "But, you are chosen by him. That must mean something. I think so."

"Really…?"

"Hey, Hibari!" A voice calls from up the stairs. It is Tatsumi. "I'm going on that mission now! Be sure to call me if something comes up!"

"Understood. The Defense Squad is initiating its mission now." Hibari types it in the computer while keeping her eyes on Yuu. She didn't even turn to see that Tatsumi was talking.

"…" Tatsumi frowns and stares at Yuu, "Hey, 1st Unit Leader, I'm watching you! Don't try anything funny with her!"

"…?" Yuu gives a confused look as he watches Tatsumi exit the Den Gate with his 2nd Unit. He turns back to Hibari, "So, uh…where am I going?"

"Oh. Right." Hibari pushes one button on the keyboard, and the pop-up window appears on the screen, "You will be going to the Tranquil Temple. There is a side note that says to "Go inside the temple itself," from the Director."

"All right. Thanks, Hibari."

"You're welcome, Yuu." She bows again, "Please be careful."

"Oh, by the way…" Yuu remembers something, "…If you see Alisa, could you please tell her that I'm sorry and the Director sent me on a mission?"

"…Sure. I'll do that." Hibari sounds a little down when Yuu mentions Alisa's name.

"Thank you. I'll be going now." Yuu waves and goes up to the Den Gate.

* * *

Back at Training Area 5,

Alisa walks out of the doors and into the hallway, after putting back her God Arc.

"_Where could he be? Yuu's not the type to be late." _Alisa wonders.

As she continues down the hallway, she spots Tsubaki standing in one place and looking at her clipboard.

"Tsubaki!" Alisa calls.

"…? Ah, Alisa." Tsubaki faces Alisa as she comes closer, "I see that you've been training. And it's your day off…You are beginning to be like your Leader."

"Yes, speaking of which, have you seen him?" Alisa asks, "We were supposed to be training together, but I've been waiting for him for 20 minutes and he never showed up."

"You just missed him." Tsubaki puts her hand on her hip, "I spoke to him 30 minutes ago. He was to meet with the Director."

"With the Director, you say? For what?"

"That is between your Leader and Dr. Sakaki. Since you're in the 1st Unit, why don't you go and meet him? I'm sure he will tell you. With any luck, Yuu might still be there."

"Understood. Thank you, Tsubaki." Alisa prepares to go to the elevator.

"Wait just for one minute, Alisa." Tsubaki halts her when she goes pass her.

"Yes?"

"…It's not my job to ask such questions. But, I'll be straightforward. Are you and your Leader are in some kind of relationship?"

"…! W-WHAT?" Alisa blushes completely, "N-N-NO! THAT'S PREPOSTEROUS!"

"I have to be sure about that issue." Tsuabaki states, "You might have known that Sakuya and Lindow were in a relationship once. Now, they're married. And where are they? Not here. As much as I am happy for the both of them, I still cannot be bothered by more requests for two Gods Eater to take a vacation, especially in times when the Aragami outbreak is starting to worsen."

"…"

"So…are you and Yuu…?"

"N-no. Not at all!" Alisa holds her breath in.

"…" Tsubaki blinks, "Very well. Now you better hurry and get to the Director's office."

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you!" Alisa dashes to the elevator and gets in quickly.

When the doors close, Tsubaki sighs.

"It might be nice to see if those two are at least trying."

* * *

Alisa arrives at the Executive Section Floor and goes straight to Dr. Paylor Sakaki's Office.

The door slides open. She sees the Doctor sitting behind the table and looking at some sheets.

"Alisa! It's nice to see a friendly face. How can I help you?" Dr. Sakaki welcomes.

"Good morning, Doctor." Alisa respectfully responds, "You wouldn't by any chance summoned Yuu here, did you?"

"Oh. I see the news have made its way to you already. Knowing that Tsubaki was the last person I spoke to before Yuu, I assume you got the info from her." Dr. Sakaki deduces.

"That's right. Yuu and I were supposed to meet each other for a training session, but he didn't come. So, I thought something happened. Later did I know that he was called to meet you for some reason…I don't think he's still here though…?" Alisa looks around the room.

"No, he's not here at the present moment." Dr. Sakaki chuckles, "How interesting for you to show much concern for your Leader...I apologize for interrupting your time together."

"…! W-Well, of course I show concern!" Alisa blushes again, "He's my Leader, and we are in the same Unit. It wouldn't hurt to know what he's been up to. And if something is happening to him, I would…uh…um…"

"It's alright, Alisa. I understand." Dr. Sakaki chuckles again, "You see, I sent Yuu on a special mission."

"…A mission?"

"That's right. Don't worry, it's not the kind where going alone is dangerous. He's hunting a unique core for me." Dr. Sakaki reveals.

"What kind of core, Doctor?" Alisa inquires.

"I'm glad you asked! I was just reviewing the documents right here." Dr. Sakaki shuffles through the sheets on his desk, and turns one of them around for Alisa to read aloud.

"According to a discovery by a Gods Eater from the Western Branch, it has been speculated that a rare core that has a brilliant shine and mysterious material was spotted inside of an unknown Aragami. Before the Gods Eater could extract the unspecified core, an Aragami, now named as the Gboro-Gboro, devoured it first. Once the core was removed from the unknown Aragami, its body, as described, "shattered into pieces of millions, like glass." Then, the Gboro-Gboro that devoured the core underwent an unusual change. Its own body turns from scaly-blue to shining-gold. The Gods Eater pursued to extract the core from the newly-golden Gboro-Gboro. However, the Aragami did not live for long. In approximately 15 seconds after it devoured the core, the golden Gboro-Gboro instantly dies, and then it shattered into pieces, similarly to the previous Aragami. The core disappeared along with the body and was never seen again."

"And the mission I have sent Yuu for…involves a live Golden Gboro-Gboro." Dr. Sakaki informs, "I have reports from photographers that they saw one at the Tranquil Temple at a specific time on a specific day. Today's that day, and it's our only shot to get it."

"…And you believe that this "core" is going to be inside of it?" Alisa questions.

"The thing about being a scientist, Alisa…is that we are never always too sure about anything. The only thing we can do is gather evidence and analyze it to broaden our knowledge. And that's why I asked your Leader to go look for it." Dr. Sakaki leans back on his chair.

"But, don't you think it's too risky for him to go alone?" Alisa asks, "If what this report said is accurate, then there must be other Aragami that want to devour this core as well. There could some out there and Yuu would be outnumbered. And, right after the Gboro-Gboro devoured this core, it died in 15 seconds! It could to happen to Yuu, too!"

"...You…might be right about that." Dr. Taylor admits, "The overall total of the Aragami population has been increasing day by day; at least one of them would find the mysterious core first. Secondly, something might happen to Yuu if he himself Devours it. No, I highly disagree on that part. His God Arc is only a modified Oracle Cellular equipment, not an organism. The only that could happen to it is turning into gold."

"So, why didn't you let someone else accompany Yuu for this mission?"

"Truth be told, I was so excited about knowing that a Golden Gboro-Gboro will appear, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to lose it. I completely ignored the possibility of other Aragami to be in the area. And it was only simple mission: extract the core. There was no necessity to have another Gods Eater, because I thought that would scare the Golden Gboro-Gboro away and we'll never get a chance to even glimpse at it."

"…"

"It might be a tad late to ask you, Alisa. But, could you go find and join your Leader for this mission?" Dr. Taylor places his hands on the table, "I know that finding the core is important, but making sure a fellow Gods Eater is safe is above that. I, once more, apologize for my mistake. Find Yuu and help him if you can."

Alisa nods, "Understood."

* * *

Hibari continues organizing mission logs on the computer.

Then, a person comes up to the desk and catches her attention.

"Alisa!" Hibari is surprised. She bows, "How can I help you?"

"Hi, Hibari. I was wondering if Yuu came by for a mission." Alisa inquires.

"Oh. He did. He just left 12 minutes ago." Hibari answers, "The Director gave him a secret mission at the Tranquil Temple."

"Yes, I know." Alisa nods.

"…?"

"I'm going there, too. Could you enter my name in the log?"

"Wh-? Sure, but…Why?" Hibari asks and types in Alisa's name into the computer, "Is there something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong. The Director made a mistake. There has to be at least 2 Gods Eaters to do this mission."

"Oh dear. Then, you better hurry. Yuu might be there already." Hibari advises, "I've just inputted your name and ordered a helicopter to wait for you."

"Thanks." Alisa begins walking up the stairs, "I'll be going now."

"Wait, Alisa."

"…?"

"Yuu told me when I see you to tell you this, "I'm sorry." He didn't tell me for what, but that's what he said." Hibari tells her.

A smile appears on Alisa's face. Yuu's face appears in her head overlapping his passed-on message. Even when he's not there to say it, he meant it.

"Thank you, Hibari." Alisa continues up the stairs and leaves through the Den Gate.

* * *

After being dropped off at the Tranquil Temple area, Alisa readies her God Arc in gun form. The frosty snow and skin-piercing cold climate have her shivering fingers rubbing against the trigger. Her feet trend over the cracked ground and find their pathway to the main temple. As she turns around the corner, there is not one single movement of an Aragami. Alisa continues moving, with her God Arc prepared, into the temple. She enters the building. No sight of anyone. If Yuu is not here, then has he already found what he was told to look for?

Alisa walks up in front of the broken statues to search for any clues that could show her what has happened.

Suddenly, a Fallen Kongou lands in front of the entrance. Its roar alerts Alisa and she turns around swiftly to face the Aragami. Using her God Arc in gun form, she aims at it.

"A Freeze-type, as always." Alisa notes and shoots at the Fallen Kongou's face with Blaze-type Homing Shot bullets.

The bullets are effective, but that did not stop the Fallen Kongou from charging towards the female Gods Eater. Alisa switches to her blade form. Her "Avenger" Long Blade has a high Blaze attribute, and it will definitely ensure major damage.

"Take this!" Alisa uses Impulse Edge when the Fallen Kongou attempts to tackle her.

The Blaze L-Type Radial sends a flame onto its face and blinds it temporarily. Alisa dashes away from its charge and the Fallen Kongou crashes into the wall beneath the broken statues. It becomes Down and opens a window of chance for Alisa. She does a Devour move and gains a Burst boost. Her attacks are now much faster and stronger for a length of time. Slash after slash with a sporadic Impulse Edge in a combo, the "Avenger" heavily inflicts damage to the Aragami and breaks its pipe and tail. The Fallen Kongou recovers and does a Freeze Shockwave. Alisa dodges away to be at a safe distance, then switches to gun form. The Aragami turns and runs out of the temple.

"Hey! Get back here!" Alisa yells and begins to follow it.

When the Fallen Kongou reaches to the bottom of the stairs, out from the corner, a "Flesh Claymore X" Buster Blade smashes into its face, breaks it, and knocks the Aragami backwards.

"…!" Alisa watches the defeated Aragami squirm and dies on the spot. She notices a male person coming around the corner with a heavy set of God Arc equipment.

This Gods Eater, with blonde hair and a Blue Formal uniform, looks up and sees the female Gods Eater standing on the stair steps.

"Alisa…?" His eyes squint.

"Yuu!" Alisa calls with a cheerful smile and runs down to him.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" Yuu lowers his God Arc to his side.

The smile on Alisa's face disappears promptly upon that question, "Oh, is that all you have to say to me? "What am I doing here?" I should be the one asking YOU, "What are YOU doing here?""

"Huh…? Er…" Yuu is befuddled by her pouting.

"YOU left ME waiting back at Training Area 5 for 20 MINUTES!" Alisa points a finger at his face, "I waited for YOU for 20 MINUTES! Don't you know that you're not supposed to keep a lady waiting?!"

"Wh-! But-! But, I-!" Yuu stammers.

"I don't want to any excuses from you, LEA-DER!" Alisa puts emphasis on that last word, "Being a leader means being responsible and keeping your word! CLEARLY, you didn't keep your word, and CLEARLY, you weren't being responsible, so CLEARLY, you weren't even being a leader!"

"…Uh…"

"Is there anything you have to say for yourself for being IR-responsible?" Alisa places a hand on her hip.

"…um…I'm…sorry?" Yuu grits his teeth and rubs the back of his head.

"…" Alisa sighs frustratingly and places her hand on her face, "You should've told me! I was worried that you wouldn't show!"

"…I…didn't forget about you, Alisa." Yuu said, "I told Hibari if she saw you to explain for me."

"I know. She already did. I just wished you told me yourself." Alisa calms her temper, "Or…am I that hard to talk to?"

"What? No!" Yuu exclaims, "I was only in a hurry because Dr. Sakaki wanted me to be here at this time. He was really desperate and I couldn't just say no to him. When we get back, I'll get him to explain."

"Don't worry, Yuu. Dr. Sakaki told me about your mission before I talked to Hibari."

"He did?"

"Yes." Alisa nods, "It's about a Golden Gboro-Gboro and its core."

"...!"

"But…there's something I need to tell you about that core."

Right when Alisa is about to inform him, a new Aragami appears. An amphibian fish with large jaws jumps down from the top of the temple and lands right on top of the dead Fallen Kongou. In one quick motion, it digs its fangs into the Fallen Kongou's body and rips out the core. The Aragami chomps on the core and swallows it down. It roars loudly with hot heat emitting out from its mouth. Yuu and Alisa step far back to observe the enemy.

"It's a Gboro-Gboro!" Yuu shouts.

"Yuu, look!" Alisa points to its scales.

They are golden.

"Is that…?"

"That's the Aragami you're looking for!" Alisa tells him, "The one Dr. Sakaki wanted you to find!"

"So that means…we're going to have to beat him to get it!" Yuu readies his God Arc, "Alisa, covering fire!"

"Roger!" Alisa targets the Golden Gboro-Gboro and shoots with Blaze-type Homing Shot bullets.

Yuu sprints to its right side while the Aragami flinches from Alisa's bullets, and starts repeatedly sundering it. After a couple of hits, the Golden Gboro-Gboro drops and is Down. Alisa switches to blade form and does a Devour on its face. She goes into Burst and sends 3 Link-Burst Bullets to Yuu, making him go into a Level 3 Burst. The both of them go to the golden-scaly torso and attack it in full might. The gold scales disseminate. The Aragami "dies."

"Great. Now all I got to do is extract this rare core." Yuu turns his God Arc into Devour form.

Right when the black organic mouth bites into the Golden Gboro-Gboro's torso, Alisa attempted to stop him, "Yuu, wait-!"

It was too late.

Yuu's God Arc Devours the golden core.

Unexpectedly, the Control Unit in Yuu's God Arc glimmers with a bright light.

"Aah!" Yuu shuts his eyes from the blinding shine.

His God Arc starts shaking non-stop.

Then, from the Control Unit to the tip of the blade, the entire equipment metamorphoses into a golden color.

Alisa raises her hand in front of her face to block its intense ray. She lowers it when the alteration stops.

The God Arc is entirely reformed.

"Whoa." Alisa awes.

"GAH!" Yuu's scream snatches Alisa's attention.

"Yuu? What's wrong?" Alisa sees him grabbing his right wrist superior to his armlet.

Yuu shrieks even more for some reason, but Alisa couldn't see what's happening. She lets go of her God Arc and rushes over to him.

He falls onto his knees and slams his forehead on the ground. There's something happening inside of him. A pulse-like sound beats inside of his head. His body tightens itself together. The armlet he's wearing goes haywire and bleeps constantly.

Alisa kneels and puts her hands on his shoulders.

"Yuu, what's the matt-?"

When her hands touch him, Yuu's right hand grabs them rapidly after dropping his gold God Arc.

A white pulsation discharges in both of their minds.

They inadvertently activated Resonance.

Alisa's mind connects with Yuu's. She straightaway feels the painful sensation he's experiencing. Vague pictures of fiery and icy storms of explosions appear. A rancorous growl echoes behind the muddled visualizations. Waves of fervor swirl in them. They feel numb from the legs and up.

Then, it all turns black and silent.

The two New-Type Gods Eaters faint and limp.

The Golden Gboro-Gboro's body shatters into millions of pieces, like glass.

* * *

Opening her blue eyes to see a pure white ceiling, Alisa awakes on a soft bed. Her skin is no longer bitten with cold snow. Warmth comes from all directions as she sits up to observe the environment. There are other people around her.

"Alisa! You've come to!" A very distinguishing male voice calls beside her.

It was Kota Fujiki, a member of the 1st Unit with a vividly colored Alley Cat getup.

"Kota!" Alisa is surprised to see him, "You're back from your mission?"

"Not quite." Another recognizable voice comes from behind Kota.

Alisa sees another male person. He's wearing a Dusky Mods outfit with a hood over his whitely-colored hair.

He is Soma Schicksal, also a member of the 1st Unit.

"Apparently, our Leader's biometric signal vanished and your armlet made a sudden priority-one distress call. We were the only close-by Gods Eaters to your location when Hibari ordered us to do an emergency rescue. We had to abandon our mission to save you guys." Soma explains with arms crossed.

"Yeah! We looked all around until we finally saw you and him passed out at the temple! We were so worried! Well, more me than Soma." Kota includes.

"Yuu…Where is he?" Alisa digresses to know about Yuu's condition.

Soma and Kota move out of Alisa's line of sight to reveal Yuu lying on the bed next to her.

She gets on her feet and walks over to him. He is not awake yet. Alisa sits in a chair and watches her Leader breath through his nostrils.

"Oh, Yuu…" Alisa worries.

The door slides open and Dr. Sakaki enters with Tsubaki behind him.

"Good to see you alive and well, Alisa." Dr. Sakaki joyously greets.

"How are you feeling?" Tsubaki stands on the other side of Yuu's bed.

"Never mind me. I'm fine." Alisa responds, "But…Yuu is…"

"He's all right." Tsubaki alleviates her concern, "His life is not in danger any longer."

"It was quite a quandary when you two were brought back. What exactly happened out there?" Dr. Sakaki inquires.

"…Yuu and I faced the Golden Gboro-Gboro together. We broke its torso with the rare core inside. Yuu Devoured it and…" Alisa describes.

"…?"

"…and…all of a sudden…he started screaming. He was in a lot of pain, I could tell. I thought it had to do something with Devouring the core. Then…we…accidently activated our Resonance."

"…Did you see something…?" Dr. Sakaki asks.

"I...cannot recall." Alisa shakes her head.

"All right. Well, the important matter is that you didn't die." Tsubaki adds, "Luckily, your Unit members were there to help."

"So…Doc?" Kota raises his hand.

"Yes, Kota?" Dr. Sakaki turns his head to him.

"There's…nothing wrong with Yuu, right?" Kota puts his hands outward, "I mean, after seeing that God Arc…"

"God Arc?" Alisa is reminded of something, "Oh! That's right! Doctor, Yuu's God Arc did in fact turn gold, just like you thought."

"It did. Tsubaki and I analyzed it back down in the God Arc Storage Area." Dr. Sakaki fixes his glasses up his nose, "It is perhaps the most aesthetic subject to study in Arcology."

"What's so special about it?" Soma deprecates, "It's just a God Arc covered in gold."

"If that's the case, then your white God Arc is no less the same. It's not so special from there, would it?" Dr. Sakaki rebukes.

"…tch."

"The core that made Yuu's God Arc that way…is called the Midas core."

"The…Midas core?" Alisa's attention is aroused to that name.

"Its name originated for a particular species of Oracle Cells. As you may have known, during the 2050s, Oracle Cells began appearing. These cells eat and evolve with organs and bodies into what we call, Aragami. Now, as time passes and the evolution of the Oracle Cells advances in such a remarkable way, only a certain number went in a different direction. In a theory made by a friend of mine, he said that some Oracle Cells mutated to feature indestructible qualities. These cells are capable of hardening into a structure that would be impossible to break. As they converge together to form a core, the Aragami will gain a golden shade and gain significant strength, hence the name, the Midas core. I added a little bit more to this incomplete theory. Of all the Golden Gboro-Gboros that have been encountered, not any one of them had the Midas core of the mutated Oracle Cells. They were merely infected by those cells, but didn't contain the actual producer. The core of the Golden Gboro-Gboro I've sent Yuu and Alisa to find was, by far, the most likely progenitor."

"The report you've shown me, Doctor, about the very first Golden Gboro-Gboro. The core was destroyed, but then the Oracle Cells reassembled, correct?" Alisa questions.

"As I said, it was the most likely. Do you remember reading about the Midas core coming from an unknown Aragami?"

"Yes."

"That unknown Aragami was the very first form the special Oracle Cells evolved into." Dr. Sakaki ominously apprises, "Its name is the Zodiac."

"Zodiac…" Alisa repeats.

"I've heard from my colleagues telling stories about the very first Aragami to arise on this earth. There was one sole creature that stood out from all the others. What made it so distinguishing, was its powerful golden armor. It couldn't be destroyed by anything due to its imperishable defense. Not even the strongest Aragami at the time could have even put a scratch on it. On the other hand, this Aragami was rarely seen. It spent its time hidden underneath the grounds, inside the Infernal Subway. You may notice that the materials, "Gold Dust" and "Pure Gold," can be salvaged there. Those were the parts fallen off of the Aragami. Not many people had seen it since. Until, that one Gods Eater in the report found it dead and watched a Gboro-Gboro eat its core. When he killed it, and didn't Devour it in time, the body and the core broke apart, and the Oracle Cells spread throughout the world, infecting other Gboro-Gboros, reunited into a core inside of a Gboro-Gboro, and made sequential appearances."

"So, that genuine God-like Aragami in golden armor…was the Zodiac?" Soma poises, "And its core…the Midas Core, you call it…it's _inside_ our Leader's God Arc?"

"…That's right." Dr. Sakaki looks at the sleeping 1st Unit Leader, "The Oracle Cells, which originally belonged to the Zodiac, rendered his God Arc into an everlasting weapon. I didn't think it would do so, since the God Arc would only hold a core, not provide a susceptible habitat."

"But that doesn't explain why he almost went through a mental breakdown." Tsubaki's demanding voice startles Dr. Sakaki, "The EEG (Electroencephalography) results show his neural activity raised to a peak. The brain cells went out of control and caused him to suffer a seizure."

"I may have an explanation for that." Dr. Sakaki fixes his glasses again, "It goes back to basic Arcology fundamentals. Everyone's armlets are adjusted to transmitting the Oracle Cells in their God Arcs through the peripheral nerves to the central nervous system. The P53 Bias Factor inside their bodies remembers the Oracle Cells' composition and protects them from their God Arcs. Contrariwise, when the Bias Factor comes into contact with foreign Oracle Cells from a different God Arc, those cells devour the one who is holding the weapon and can cause instant death."

"Yuu pulled that stunt with Lindow's God Arc." Kota remembers.

"Precisely. It is by lucky chance that he endured. However, in this case, it's different."

"How's that?" Tsubaki probes.

"Yuu did not touch anyone else's God Arc. Instead, his God Arc itself changed."

"…!"

"The mutated Oracle Cells from the Midas core might have overridden his God Arc's and replaced them all. As a result, his Bias Factor reacted very aggressively to the new composition. I think what happened is that the Bias Factor reconfigured in order to accept the new Oracle Cells into the body. That reconfiguration process might have caused Yuu to go through so much pain."

"He's going to be okay, right, Doctor?" Alisa stresses.

"Don't worry, Alisa. Think of it as an allergy reaction." Dr. Sakaki smiles.

"…_This seems much worse than that."_ Alisa thinks to herself.

"In any case, it's a relief you two returned alive." Tsubaki said to Alisa, "I think what is best for you is to rest. After all, the both of you are still technically off-duty."

"Indeed." Dr. Sakaki agrees, "I will be in the Lab No. 1 studying Yuu's God Arc. When Yuu wakes up, tell him to visit me, okay?"

"I'll do that, Doctor." Alisa nods.

"And Soma, Kota…" Tsubaki calls them, "I need you to come with me and file a report on your mission. Despite that it was cancelled, the administration needs to keep it on record."

"Yes, Ma'am…" Kota groans.

"Let's go." Tsubaki prepares to leave, "And Alisa…?"

"…?"

"…take good care of him."

Alisa glances at Yuu and back to her, "I will."

"Bye, Alisa! Say hi to Yuu for me when he wakes up." Kota requests.

"...Pass this message to him for me: If you try to die with your Unit member again, I'll make sure you don't, and kill you myself." Soma sterns, but obviously joking.

Soma and Kota follow Tsubaki out of the room.

Dr. Sakaki makes one last quote.

"I'm glad you chose to go after your Leader. Without you, we might've lost a great Gods Eater…and friend."

"…Yes…" Alisa shyly beams towards Yuu's face, "He's always been there. I want to do the same."

"You're doing beautifully." Dr. Sakaki praises, "I should get going now. Don't want to talk too much around a sleeping man."

"I'll stay a little longer." Alisa tells him as he heads for the door.

"Sure. Remember, I'll be in Lab No. 1." Dr. Sakaki reminds.

The sliding door opens for him and closes behind him.

Alisa puts her hands on the bed.

She watches Yuu once more, hoping he will open his ardent dark blue eyes and ease her heart.

"_If it wasn't for me, you would've been killed." _Alisa comments, _"From now on, I'll always be by your side, got it?"_

She touches his hand to transfer those thoughts to him by Resonance, but she didn't take time to realize that Yuu is dreaming.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for a long update! Please review and tell me your thoughts/theories/ideas!**


	3. Past into the Future

**Chapter 3: Past into the Future**

"Look, I don't get it, Tzua." A 12-year old blonde boy whines in the back seat of a moving old jeep, "Why can't I join the Gods Eaters like you and big brother?"

"I told you a million times already, Yuu. You're too young for it." A mature 18-year old blonde girl, wearing a Khaki Formal uniform, answers from the front passenger's seat.

"But, I heard that someone else as old as me is already a Gods Eater. And I heard that passing the Aptitude Test is best when you're 12 to 18." Yuu turns to a 25-year old blonde man who is driving the old jeep, "Ichirou…"

"Your sister's right, Yuu." He states in a deep voice, "You're not old enough to be a Gods Eater like us. These Aragami are very dangerous creatures. Hunting them is not a game. It's a matter of survival and protection, day-in and day-out. Even now Tzua and I are having trouble controlling these God Arcs. You can't handle it."

"I don't care if I can't do it. I want to help!" Yuu protests.

"I said no." Ichirou raises his voice, "I'm the one who's taking care of you. What I say, you do follow, got it?"

Yuu frustratingly sighs, "I'm 12 years old! I'm not a kid anymore! And you're not Dad! You will never be like Dad!"

"Yuu!" Tzua turns her head towards him.

Yuu lays his back up against the seat and crosses his arms.

"It's all right Tzua." Ichirou lowers his voice back down, "Little brother has a point. I'm not like Dad."

"…"

"But I've done my best to make sure none of my family gets killed again. And we've been doing what we can to make sure Yuu grows up without having to deal with this. So, maybe…Maybe what we're doing doesn't matter to him at all."

"…" Yuu frowns when his older brother said that, "Ichirou, I…"

"Whoa, hold on." Ichirou stops the vehicle.

He spots something moving around the corner of a destroyed building in the distance.

"What is it, Ichirou?" Tzua tries to see what he sees.

Yuu sits straight up and puts his arms on the two seats in front.

"I don't know." Ichirou replies, "But it was definitely an Aragami."

He opens the door and gets out.

"Stay in the car, you two." He orders.

Ichirou limber himself in his Red Formal uniform and walks to the back of the jeep. He opens the trunk to take out his God Arc, which consist of only a "Flesh Claymore" Buster Blade and an "Aurgelmir P" Tower Shield. Walking towards the building's corner with his God Arc at the ready, Yuu and his older sister watch him go farther and farther. Then, Ichirou disappears from their line of sights after going around that corner.

"…"

A loud roar pierces through the silent ambience.

Tzua can see sunlit-projected silhouettes on a wall of the building adjacent to the broken one. A large beast-like shadow is facing a smaller man-sized one with a God Arc. Judging from the shape of the beast, it appears to be an unknown species. Ichirou is battling against that. The shadows on the wall collide and jump around to describe the battle between them. Suddenly, a light beeps on Tzua's right armlet. It signifies for her to disperse.

"Ichirou…" Tzua holds her wrist.

"What? What's going on?" Yuu questions.

His sister takes a sharp inhale of air and shifts herself over to the driver's seat. She turns the engine back on.

"Tzua, what you're doing?"

"Quiet, Yuu." Tzua tells him as she gears the jeep to reverse.

Looking behind to see if there are any obstacles behind the vehicle, she drives the jeep backwards and turns it around. Tzua drives away from where Ichirou is fighting the unidentified Aragami.

"Tzua! Ichirou is still fighting! Why are we running away?" Yuu exclaims.

"He told us to run. He knows what he's doing." Tzua answers.

"But…" Yuu looks back to see an electrical explosion of debris in the distance.

"Sit back!" Tzua orders him.

Yuu does what she says. He continues worrying about his big brother as his older sister returns to the Fenrir Far East Branch.

* * *

Sitting on the couch in front of the Den's exit gate, the young boy watches Tzua pace left and right in anxiety.

It has been 5 hours since morning when Ichirou encountered the unknown Aragami. A squad was sent to his location to back him up. No word has been said then.

The two younger siblings wait for news about him.

Promptly, the gate opens.

Two Gods Eaters come through to meet with Tzua.

One is a 23-year old woman with short black hair, who is wearing a black jacket and white pants, and the other is a 20-year old man with same kind of hair and similar clothing style to the woman, except he has black pants and multiple straps on his shoes. Both of them are siblings as well.

Tzua walks up to the woman.

"Tsubaki…" She calls her.

"Lindow and I went there as fast as we could." The woman states, "…Ichirou…"

The blonde boy stands up to hear what they are saying to each other. The words are indistinguishable from where he's at. But the body language is clear like crystal. Tzua's arm movements are as striking as an arrow to the chest. She places her palms over her mouth. Her ponytail sways side to side. Taking small steps backwards, the woman in the black jacket apologizes to her.

"I'm sorry, Tzua."

Yuu watches his older sister drop down to her knees with a quivering body. She begins to sob. The woman named Tsubaki crouches to give her a hug. The 20-year old man next to her comes over to Yuu.

"Sorry, kid." He lowers his eyes to the floor and walks away.

His apologetic words did not compute to the boy. All he's doing is thinking about his sister crying on the floor. Yuu clenches his fists and scrunches his lips inward. His own tears are attempting to be contained, but there are too much of them.

Ichirou's two younger siblings are left alone, savoring their last memory of him.

* * *

In the E25 area of the Outer Ghetto, Yuu and Tzua are sitting in their home at the porch. They watch the stars in the skies while the red sun slowly disappears at the horizon.

The blonde brother kept himself quiet for the past 3 weeks.

"Do you want something to eat?" Tzua asked.

"…"

"Well, I'm going back inside to make us something." Tzua stands and goes to the kitchen.

Yuu watches from his sitting spot. The door opens widely, and he can see his sister preparing dishes and food ingredients. He makes a gulp in his throat as he thrusts himself forward to ask a question. Along the way to the kitchen's entrance, Yuu changes his question to a demand.

"I want to join Fenrir now."

Tzua turns her head to him. She sees the seriousness and determination in his cute blue eyes. But, within those eyes is hidden fury. A small smile appears on her face. She walks over to him and leans down to meet at eye level. Their similar bluish irises link to one another.

"I'm sure you do, Yuu." Tzua agrees, "But, I can't let you."

Yuu makes another demand. The desperation in his voice proves his concern for his older kin.

"I want to help."

"…"

Tzua places a hand on top of his head. Her smile widens.

"One day you will."

"…"

"One day, you will be become a great Gods Eater. But for now, you're the family I need to protect."

"Tzua…" Yuu reaches around her neck with his arms.

She hugs him back affectionately while kneeling all the way down. One teardrop slides down from her left eye as she sees in her mind an image of her two brothers. Tzua sniffs once as they pull apart.

"Now…" Tzua wipes her face, "…let's make that lunch, hmm?"

Before they could go enjoy their time together, a gargantuan ground-shaking rumble with an accompanying sound of an explosion disrupts them. The house shakes wildly for a few seconds. All of the dishes on the counter slide off and crash onto the tiled floor. It all turns quiet once the shaking stops.

"What…What was that?" Yuu asked.

"I don't know." Tzua looks around and goes to the front porch.

As Yuu trails behind her, out in the street, other people come out of their homes to observe what was going on.

"Oh my god!" A woman's voice turns everyone's heads to one direction.

They all see black smoke rising behind tall buildings. The structures crumble and fall to create more damage. Dust flies from there down the streets. Yuu and Tzua cover their eyes to block against the flying gravel. Loud sirens dominate the area. People panic and immediately run in the opposite direction of where the smoke is.

"Oh no." Tzua mutters.

Her armlet starts beeping.

"There is an Aragami inside."

"…! An Aragami? But, I though they couldn't get in the Outer Ghetto!" Yuu exclaims.

"One of them has." Tzua darts back inside the house to grab her God Arc that has a "Railknife" Short Blade and a "Polished Buckler" Shield. She returns and kneels down to Yuu.

"Yuu, listen to me. You must go to Fenrir's Den and stay there. Understand?"

"Wh-?"

"Just do it!" Tzua notices another building falling apart and a second explosion occurs, "Go! I'll be there soon!"

She dashes away from him and heads straight to the destruction zone. Yuu watches her fade in the clouds of dust and debris. He turns around, but does not move. The picture of Ichirou going around the corner plays in his head. His sister and he ran to escape. News of the oldest brother report that he has been killed. Turning his hands into fists, Yuu mumbles,

"No. Not this time."

Yuu heads into the house, and opens a storage closet. He takes out a box that is filled with emergency stun grenades. Due to his small skinny arms, he could only hold four without dropping any one of them. The pre-adolescent boy follows his sister into a battle that will carve a mark into his heart.

* * *

In an abandoned street covered with large chunks of building pieces, Yuu runs around to look for his Tzua.

A roar overlaps the crackling fires. It sounds familiar. Then it hit him. It's the same one on the day Ichirou fought the unknown Aragami.

Yuu hurries to locate his sister by following the source of the roar. He comes around a corner and sees in the distance 3 Blaze Vajratails swinging their tails in a circular motion. Tzua is spotted fighting against those 3 on her own. She is sundering and piercing them with her God Arc.

"Tzua!" Yuu calls.

She couldn't hear him.

The female Gods Eater knocks back the Blaze Vajratails. Yuu comes into her line of sight.

"Yuu? What are you doing here?!" Tzua runs up to him, "I told you to go to Fenrir!"

"I know, but I don't care! I want to help!" Yuu argues.

"Yuu-!"

Yuu glimpses behind her and see the Blaze Vajratails charging towards them.

"Look out!" Yuu throws 2 stun grenades at them.

The grenades flash brightly and temporarily blind them. Tzua turns around and kills them by penetrating their weak spot with her "Railknife". They limp to the ground dead.

Afterwards, two Gods Eaters appear from down the street. It was a man and a woman with hair colors that are alike. They are the same ones from 3 weeks ago at Fenrir's Den. If Yuu recalls correctly, their names were Tsubaki and Lindow.

"Tzua!" Tsubaki calls with a "Mousy Blow" Assault Gun.

"We heard the alarm and came quickly as we could. Hope we didn't miss out on anything." Lindow holds a "Blood Surge" Long Blade and an "Evader" Shield as his God Arc.

"…" Tzua looks down to Yuu. She slightly smirks.

"Actually you did." Tzua puts her hand around Yuu's shoulder, "Yuu and I just dealt with 3 Vajratails."

"…!" Yuu is surprised to hear his name in her sentence.

"What?" Tsuabaki cocks an eyebrow, "Your little brother who isn't a Gods Eater helped you?"

"Tell her, Yuu." Tzua encourages him to explain.

"Uh…I only threw stun grenades." Yuu gestures to the last 2 stun grenades in his hands.

"Heh. Not bad, kid." Lindow complements, "If you had a God Arc in your hand, you might as well be a Gods Eater."

Yuu shyly smiles.

"So, that's all the threat?" Tsubaki observes the dead Blaze Vajratails.

"Yes." Tzua nods, "My radar only detected these Aragami in the vicinity."

"…?" Yuu is befuddled by what she said.

"All right." Tzubaki places a hand on her hip, "Let's split up and search for any remaining civilians and help them evacuate."

"Roger." Lindow and Tzua acknowledge.

The three Gods Eaters prepare to disband until Yuu stops Tzua.

"Wait, Tzua." Yuu tugs her arm.

"What is it, Yuu?"

"Do you remember the Aragami that Ichirou fought?"

"Yeah…"

"I think it's around here."

"…!" The three Gods Eaters check their radars.

"Why do you think that?" Tzua asks Yuu.

"I remember what it sounded like from before. And I heard it again on my way here." Yuu replies.

"It's not appearing on the radar. Are you sure you heard what you heard?" Tsubaki asks.

"Yes! I'm absolutely sure!"

"…" Lindow scratches his head, "Well, this is gonna be a problem. If our radars can't detect it, then our eyes and ears need to be open."

"You're right. Keep a lookout for another Aragami." Tsubaki orders, "It might be possible that-."

Suddenly, the ground beneath them shakes violently.

Fissures open in multiple directions and up the buildings. The walls and bases collapse and the structures crumble downwards. A large eruption ensues 50 meters away from the group. Smoke and rocks scatter. Within the dusty haze of dirt, a nebulous silhouette of a monstrous creature can be seen. Its shape resembles the same one Yuu saw on the day Ichirou died. The creature roars ferociously with the same vocalization as the unknown Aragami.

A sharp arm from the being smashes into a nearby building, causing it to be pushed into other buildings.

"Let's move!" Tsubaki yells.

She, Lindow, Yuu, and Tzua begin to run in the other direction.

However, something stops Tzua from doing so. A Blaze Vajratail, apparently still alive because its core has not been extracted, has bitten her leg. It forcefully twists its jaw and snaps Tzua's leg. She screams while falling on her face. To free herself, Tzua holds her God Arc and repeatedly impales the Vajratail's head. The 2 other Blaze Vajratails stand up and fix to attack her.

Yuu turns his head back to see his sister almost incapacitated. The buildings along the side are beginning to disintegrate onto the streets. If they do not escape straightaway, they will be caught under the ruin. The 2 Blaze Vajratails swing their tails at Tzua, but she had her "Polished Buckler" Shield up to block them. Instinctively, Yuu throws the last 2 stun grenades in his hands at the Aragami. The 2 standing Blaze Vajratails screech from the light, and the one that has its teeth in Tzua's leg releases her.

Tsubaki, already witnessed what happened, comes next to Yuu and shoots multiple Freeze-type Homing Shot bullets at the Blaze Vajratails. They get knocked back onto their sides, and become Down.

"Tzua!" Yuu starts to run for his sister.

"Lindow! Stop him!" Tsubaki commands her brother. The buildings are already breaking apart. It will be too late to help Tzua get on her feet.

Lindow quickly grabs Yuu with one arm.

"Agh! Let me go!" Yuu struggles to keep going.

"Kid, you can't make it!" Lindow tries to convince the boy, "If we don't go now, we're gonna get crushed!"

Tzua manages to get on her one intact leg, but the shaking earth imbalances her and she trips back down. She braces herself up with one arm to look up at her younger brother.

Yuu bites on Lindow's wrist, forcing him to let go.

"No!" Lindow and Tsubaki shout in unison.

"Tzua!" Yuu runs for her.

Tzua looks to her left to realize that the tumbling building is leaning right above her.

She comes right back to Yuu and raises up an open hand.

Yuu instantly stops in his place.

His sister's head shakes left and right to signal him that it is too late.

Tears drip down her cheek to her curved lips.

She whispers, _"It's okay, little brother. It's okay."_

The young blonde boy watches an ocean of concrete rocks plummet on top of his older sister.

And from that point, a light inside of him is extinguished. A shadowy cold air proliferates and constricts his lungs. His teeth grind tightly. His eyes dilate while water pours out from both sides. Tsubaki and Lindow both grab and pull him away from the raining onslaught of wreckage.

His dejected once-bright face ominously transforms with dark blue circles of ire.

Screams of rage, produced by his voice alone, match on par with the unknown Aragami's roars.

* * *

A 17-year old Yuu in an Herbal Plaid outfit sits inside a confined room with no windows, 1 door, 2 chairs, and a metal table.

The door opens, and in comes a 28-year old woman with white explicit clothing that shows the halves of her breasts. She closes the door behind her, and Yuu stands up in respect.

"Ms. Tsubaki." Yuu greets with a deepened voice.

"You may sit." Tsubaki nods and the both of them take their seats.

As the woman in white takes out sheets from a clipboard she carries, Yuu notices her armlet is deactivated and yellow in color.

"You're…not a Gods Eater anymore?" Yuu questions.

"…?" Tsubaki looks to her armlet, "Oh, yes. I've retired since last year."

"I didn't think retiring would be an option."

"No, it's just...my specialty is commanding from behind the front lines. The Director, Johannes Schicksal, positioned me to be a supervisor for the new young Gods Eater. He figured it's best for an experienced Captain to oversee the next line of soldiers." Tsubaki crosses her legs.

"I see."

"…"

Tsubaki spreads out the sheets with Yuu's personal information out on the table.

"Yuu Yamazaki." Tsubaki reads, "Born here in Japan in 2053; third child of Oyato Yamazaki and Fuyu Ito; youngest sibling of eldest son Ichirou Yamazaki and elder daughter Tzua Yamazaki. All relations: Deceased. Is that correct?"

Yuu nods.

"You've applied to be on the Fenrir Far East Combat Unit. Quite a high expectation for someone who never had any actual combat experience. But, these numbers show me your excelling scores in simulated combat." Tsubaki taps a finger on one of the sheets of paper, "Plus, not only are you a Possible Match for passing the Aptitude Test, you are genetically capable of wielding a New-Type God Arc."

"New-Type?"

"Fenrir recently developed new God Arc models that can switch to close-combat and long-distance." Tsubaki informs.

"…!"

"However, its conditions for compatibility are stricter than for the current God Arcs. Finding Possible Matches are rarely successful. But, you…You are chosen to be able to use this new technology. If you pass the Aptitude Test, you will be the first New-Type Gods Eater for the Fenrir Far East Branch."

"…"

"Are you prepared to do so?" Tsubaki sits back on her chair.

"…" Yuu grips his fists, "Yes. Yes, I am."

"…" Tsubaki inches a smile, "That's good."

"So, when do I take the Test?"

"You can't. It's impossible." Tsubaki sternly states.

"…! What? Why?" Yuu flinches.

Tsubaki straightens upright and places her arms on the table, "A new Fenrir Administration Law was put in place after I retired: "Only a maximum of 2 people per family can be employed by the Fenrir Far East Branch." This limit was established to ensure a surviving member in a family of 3 or more."

"…"

"Yuu Yamazaki…You're the only last remaining member of your family." Tsubaki reminds him, "Fenrir won't even acknowledge you to take the Test."

"What…" Yuu swallows hard, "…What should I do?"

"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do. I'm sorry." Tsubaki starts gathering the sheets back together and place them into the clipboard, "You can't be a Gods Eater, Yuu. That's under Fenrir's policy. I can't change that."

"…"

Yuu makes a small laugh, "You sound just like them."

"…? Who?"

"Ichirou and Tzua."

"…"

"…The last thing I spoke to my big brother about was me becoming a Gods Eater. He flatly said no because I was simply too young. My sister said the same thing, but she believed that I would be a great Gods Eater one day. Both of them died in the same month. And I was all alone for 5 years. It's true; it would only put their deaths in vain if I joined Fenrir. But, I couldn't turn my back from being a Gods Eater, not after all these years. It would only tarnish their names in my opinion. They became soldiers because they wanted to protect me. I want to do the same…for everyone else."

"…"

"Ms. Tsubaki. You didn't just come here to tell me about being able to use a New-Type God Arc and unable take the Test because of a new Law. You came here because you found a way to get me in. You just want me to convince you to do it."

"…"

"I understand, though. You also want to protect me…because I'm Ichirou's little brother."

"…"

"You probably swore to him that you would look after me if he died in the field. And here I am, wanting to become a Gods Eater. And the only person who can make that decision is you." Yuu smiles, "I…don't have any significant ways to convince you. All I can do…is ask for your permission."

"…"

"Ms. Tsubaki." Yuu rises, "Please, let me join Fenrir and become a Gods Eater."

Tsubaki leans back and sighs with a serene smile, "I have to say…Yamasaki's adorable little brother has grown up to be quite a young man."

"…"

"You look just like Ichirou when I first laid my eyes on him. Strong, confident, humble, smart, and beautiful with his dark blue eyes…"

Yuu's cheeks flush.

"I did promise him that I would look after you. On the other hand, it would insult him and Tzua if I can't help their only family." Tsubaki crosses her arms, "There is a way for you to bypass the Limit Law, but it's not going to easy for you to take in."

Yuu gently goes back down onto his chair.

"The simplest thing to do is to change your last name. As dull as it sounds, it's still not enough. Fenrir has a powerful database on all civilian profiles. Even if you change your entire full name, the network still has to do a facial recognition scan. You wouldn't be able to fool that system." Tsubaki apprises, "You would need someone on the inside to help; someone who oversees the identification analysis and review each Fenrir applicant."

"…That would be you?"

"That's right. Here's the difficult part." Tsubaki warns, "I have to erase your identity completely from the database."

"…!"

"It is the only way for the facial recognition scan to let you through. Like I said, it's not easy for you to take in."

"…"

"If you want to become a Gods Eater, you must forget who you are now, and become a new person." Tsubaki clarifies, "Forget that you are a son of Yamazaki. Forget that you are a brother of Ichirou and Tzua…Are you prepared to follow that part?"

Yuu takes a deep breath and exhales calmly.

From now on, there's no looking back.

If he wants to be a Gods Eater, he must be ready to past into the future.

"Yes. I'm ready."

"…Good." Tsubaki takes out a blank sheet of paper from her clipboard.

She uses a pen from her pocket to write something unofficial. Yuu takes it when she slides it over to him.

"That is your new family name. It belongs to a long-distant cousin of mine. Below that is your new address. Go and live there for the time being." Tsubaki stands up, "I'll make sure the database has what it needs about the new you. Until then, wait for a year and come back to Fenrir to take the Test."

Yuu also stands up, "Yes, Ma'am."

"…" Tsubaki smirks, "All I can say now is...good luck."

A bright smile appears on Yuu's face, "Thank you."

* * *

The year is 2071.

Hibari Takeda, 17 years old, has lately been appointed as Fenrir Far East Branch "Operator."

Today is her first day at the front desk, and she is excited to begin.

Right in front of her, a blonde handsome 18-year old Japanese man comes up to the desk.

"Hi." Hibari cheerfully smiles, "Welcome to the Den. How may I help you?"

"Hello." The man slightly bows his head, "I am here to take the Aptitude Test. I have an appointment with Tsubaki Amamiya."

"Okay. Let me just see if your name is on the list." Hibari types on a computer keyboard at her side of the desk, "What is your name?"

"Kannagi. My name is Yuu Kannagi."

* * *

"-Lindow's right arm cannot revert back to normal, but the Infection has stopped completely." Dr. Sakaki looks up from his desk to make eye contact with Yuu, "As for you, Yuu...you don't show any signs of Infection at all. I'm quite astounded at how you can use Lindow's God Arc twice and still survive the Oracle Cells. Maybe…that's another quality of being a New-Type Gods Eater. Well done, Yuu Kannagi, well done."

"Thank you, Doctor." Yuu bows his head.

"But, I still would like to talk to you about meeting this God Arc personification of an illusionary human figure." Dr. Sakaki smirks.

"Perhaps another time, Doctor." Tsubaki intrudes while standing next to Dr. Sakaki's desk, "Yuu has put himself in front of danger to save Lindow. We shouldn't ask any more from him."

"Yes, of course." Dr. Sakaki agrees, "Some well rest should ease him."

"Also, the Fenrir Administration has recognized your heroic actions to rescue Lindow, Yuu." Tsubaki includes, "For doing such a humanitarian deed, you have been promoted to Assault Lieutenant; you are the youngest Gods Eater to ever be so."

"…! I…don't know what to say…" Yuu nervously said.

"No need." Tsubaki smiles, "In the meantime, you've earned yourself a week's break. Rest up then, understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Yuu nods.

* * *

Yuu waits in the hallway for the elevator to open its doors.

Tsubaki walks up and stands beside him.

"Thank you, Yuu." She said, "For bringing my brother back."

"Ah…it's all right." Yuu rubs the back of his head, "I just did what I could for a friend."

"Yes…and you've done so much, even going out on your own to face that Corrosive Hannibal."

Tsubaki wraps one arm around Yuu, and pulls his head in to her neck.

"M-Ms. Tsubaki…?" Yuu blushes.

"You've grown so much." Tsubaki closes her eyes to feel his blond hair wave against her skin, "I knew letting you join Fenrir was the right decision, but I was afraid that Ichirou would be mad at me. I only hope he and your sister are looking down at you and are very proud."

"…" Yuu remembered that she told him to forget his family, but this time is most appropriate to think about them.

"Yuu..." Tsubaki tightens her hand on Yuu's shoulder, "Were you ever mad at me and Lindow after we couldn't save your sister?"

"...!" Yuu shakes his head, "No, never! I would never hold a grudge over that!"

"...Hmm...I wouldn't blame you if you did."

"Ms. Tsubaki-."

The elevator doors open.

Tsubaki releases him, "Well, in you go, Lieutenant."

Yuu enters and turns towards her. The lights inside illuminate his facial features and Blue Formal uniform.

Tsubaki observes him with a surprised look on her face, "You really look like him now."

"…?"

"Ichirou. He stood where you stood when I first met him." Tsubaki scoffs while going back into her memories, "I remember we use to sneak into the Training Areas at night to practice with the combat simulations. We did that until we became the best Gods Eaters. Looking back at it now, those were the happiest times that ever happened to me."

"…"

"And today is also one of them." Tsubaki smiles, "To watch you become Fenrir's greatest Gods Eater…makes me feel honored. Thank you again, Yuu."

Yuu returns with a smile as the elevator doors close,

"You're welcome, Ms. Tsubaki. Thank you too, for watching me."

* * *

The Resonance stops.

Alisa yanks her hand back.

She sees Yuu remaining asleep on the bed.

"Oh my." Alisa places her enclosed hand on her chest while thinking about what she saw in Yuu's mind.

* * *

**A/N: That's that for this chapter! Please review and tell me your thoughts/theories/ideas!**


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